, 1887-08-04
Assault and Battery.

can, deputy sheriff Of the county, and
j. II. Duncan, farmer by occupation.
The latter was found by reporter on
Riverside ave. talking to large crowd
and wiping the blood from bad cash
over the left eye. On being questioned
he made the following statement :
"My name is J. r. Duncan. Last
spring made contract with A. j..
Duncan to farm his land on Five-mile
prairie. BY the agreement he was to
pay me six dollars u ton for the grain.
A few days ago l was kicked by n
horse and have not been able to work
since. To-day came into town on
business. Saw Mr.. Duncan standing
at the corner of Sprague and Post
streets, and went up to speak to him.
He asked me why was not working
on the farm? replied that was
lame and unable to work, but my men
were all there. He then asked why /
was not looking after them? answer.
ed that my wife was there and fully
competent to oversee matters. He then
said that Mr.. Daily had told him that
the wheat needed cutting badly. 1 said
| l thought there was some mistake,
and seeing Mr.. Daily standing
near, proposed that we should 60 over
and ask him about il. He refused and
began to complain that had not full.
filled my part of the contract. 1 then
said, you have not fulfilled your part,
for you agreed to supply uswith water,
whereas we have to cart it, and | shall
charge you for it, He retorted, you
are damned liar. didn't promise
to do it, replied Il can prove it by
Witnesses He then repeated you're
- damned liar and added u vile
epithet. That angered me and / re-
piled You're another whereupon he
drew his revolver, and began to strike
at me. l warded off the blows with
my arm, at the same time saying,
Don't strike me, am crippled and
unarmed.' Meanwhile backing off.
He struck three times, the second
blow hit me over the left eye, another
glanced along my left jaw making a
slight scratch. kept talking to him
all the time, begging him not to strike.
Then Mr.. Wilson came up and led me
away"
The reporter accompanied the in
jured man to the office of DR.. Nor
gan who sewed up and dressed the
wound.
The deputy sherif''s version of the
affair is entirely different. He says
that the wounded party has been
han about n;t,, f..
days, drunk. Mr.. Daily had reported
that the grain on the Five Mile farm
was getting over ripe, and consequent
ly on seeing Mr.. Duncan he stepped
up to him and enquired why he was
not at work on the farm, at the same
time repeating Mr.. Daly's statement
in regard to the wheat. The farmer
replied "you'r liar, he did not say
that" The sheriff took no notice OF
the result, supposing the man to be
drunk, but proposed that they go and
ask Daily about it. At this point the
other Duncan drew a knife and brand
ishing it in his face shouted out
"You'r damned liar, and have got q
belly ache over your old grain" The
sheriff then told the man to put up
his knife or he would get hurt, and as
the fellow continued his menacing
motions, struck him with his revolver.
Then Wilson came up and the affair
ended.
The reporter then interviewed Mr..
DeCow, near whose store the affair
occurred. Mr.. DeCow said his atten-
ton was attracted by the sound OF
angry voices and he went to the door
to see what was the matter. Heard
the sheriff say"I won't be called
liar" and saw him strike the other
man. Did not see any knife.
Mr.. Wilson, the constable, stated
that he was walking up Post street
when his attedtion was drawn to the
fracas by a lady, who was passing.
He saw the men struggling but
thought they were fooling, till he no.
ticed that one was bleeding. J. r.
Duncan had knife in his hand with
a small blade, little over an inch
long, open; was not making passes
with it but only lingering it nervously;
did not see any revolver; took the
wounded man to blacksmith shop
near by and washed off the blood. DIR.
Morgan stated that the cut was bad
one but not dangerous. 1t was proba-
bly, made by the sight or revolving
barrel of the pistol. The injured man
tried to find justice of the peace in
order to procure warrant for the ar
rest of the sheriff, but did not succeed |
until it was too late to take any ac-
ton last night. He has secured the
services of Lawyer S. G. Hyde and
will swear out a warrant this morning.
The affair has caused great deal of |
and much interest is taken |
in the result.